Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Couillard, Fortier and KEVLAR

Well, I've looked high and low for these corporate returns by the Mont Royal Conservative Riding Association. You know, the ones where corporations have to be given their contributions back because it is illegal to accept said donations.

Here is the Kevlar Donation going into the associations coffers. You remember Kevlar is the group that Julie Couillard worked/didn't work for. So a quick peek at the Mont Royal returns for 2006 and 2007 show that there were no cheques issued to Kevlar under the section allocated for donations returned. None!After Mr. Fortier decided to run in the next election, he moved his fundraising prowess over to the riding he chose - Vaudreuil-Soulanges. There is no record of Kevlar donating to that riding, however, Rene Bellerive, Kevlar's president, donated to the riding. May 15, 2007 to be precise. Mr. Fortier's new riding then became the benefactor of a nice transfer from Mont Royal to the tune of $185,000. The money has been utilized for some interesting things I have to say.

For instance, not many riding associations in the land have a fully staffed office - or any office for that matter. Mr. Fortier's riding however managed to spend $250,000on office space and staff combined. It almost sounds like a fully subsidized, year-round campaign office, no?Suffice to say M. Fortier is full of privilege and perhaps his firing of M. Cote last week is an indicator of something more.

Yah, being Mr Big likely brings in a few donations all right.Why would it be illegal for VS to return MRs donations, after MR had forwarded them to VS?At least the intended riding caught the mistake in the end.